


A Messiah's Princess

by TheAuthority



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gift Work, Inspired Work, Mention's of mental health, Messiah, Romance, Self Harm, Tags will be added as story goes on, it's alot better than this, pkease read unworthy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:28:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25982122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthority/pseuds/TheAuthority
Summary: When Seth Rollins confides in a close friend, Stephanie McMahon, about his recent demons - she finds herself in a batlle between her head, which knows it's all nonsence, and her heart, which belives there's truth for them both.
Relationships: Seth Rollins | Tyler Balck/Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins | Tyler Black/Stephanie McMahon, Stephanie McMahon/Triple H
Comments: 10
Kudos: 7





	1. Confessional

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Helllooo!! So.. yeah, this is an odd one. 
> 
> Basically, I read a work titled 'Unworthy' by LesChampsElazy (AMAZING story by the way, please read it if you haven't) and it isnpired this story in my head. 
> 
> The intent was for this to be a one shot, but it ended up being ALOT longer and detailed than originally planned. So, I've decided to split it up into parts. I'll hopefully be updating every few days, but my other story does take priority atm! With that being said, this story will have significantly less chapters and a lower word count, so it'll be eaiser to stay on top of :)
> 
> But yeah, this is heavily inspired by Unworthy, but I did ask permission to post this first, so hopefully everyone likes it - most importantly LesChamps!! 
> 
> So uh.. yeah, please enjoy and comment, kudos etc xxx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth has something to confess to his friend, Stephanie.

Quietly getting on with some paperwork isn't the most ideal Saturday afternoon for Stephanie McMahon, but it's unfortunately better than listening to Paul rattle on for hours. Besides, being productive never hurt anyone. 

Raw and smackdown were running surprisingly smoothly, given the slightly odd circumstances of the world we're all living in. Although, Raw's Monday Night Messiah seemed to be racking up a lot of complains from religious viewers, who take his gimmick as offensive; not that Stephanie is particularly against stirring a controversial pot, but she is against reading the endless arguments condemning her product. After all, she personally pushed for Seth's new gimmick to make it on screen, so of course she's personally invested.

Seeing how successful Seth has become since adopting this Messiah character made her so happy, seeing her own ideas flourish is always a mood booster; plus, getting one a up on her brother, who claimed the idea was stupid, is an added bonus too.

Catching her attention, there was a knock at the door. After shouting a casual "come in", the same devil in her thoughts stepped into her office - Seth Rollins. Stephanie didn't take much attention away from her paperwork, she had a lot to get through, Seth being the reason for a majority of it. He'll say his piece, she can give him a half arsed answer, and they'll both be able to move on and enjoy their weekend. 

"What can I do you for, Seth?" She said, typing away at her computer. 

When the only response was incomputable mumbling, Stephanie became more aware of the panicked aura Seth brought in with him. Finally looking at him properly, she saw him in the chair opposite her desk; he was running his hands through his hair vigorously, and she was almost sure that his tired eyes were watering. Obviously, he was incredibly on edge, it wouldn't have take a genius to work that much out. But he also seemed.. well, he seemed utterly petrified. 

"Seth..?" Steph repeated, cautiously standing from her chair. 

"I..I-I could hear her.. " he said, covering his face with his hands, hiding away the tears. "Steph, I could hear her! I can hear everything!" 

Raising an eyebrow, Stephanie slowly walked over and knelt down in front of him, carefully resting her hand along his back; she took note of how sharp his shoulder blade felt. Seth's an incredibly strong man, but she couldn't feel any of his muscle, and his shirt was only thin. Upon taking a looking closer at the rest of him, the muscles on his arms had significantly thinned down - Seth clearly hadn't eaten in days. 

What the hell was going on with him?? More to the point, what does he mean 'hear everything'? Seth's never been like this, he's a confident person - she's definitely never seen him cry before. The sight of him so fragile, weak, and downright terrified.. it was making her panic in return.

"What's happening to me..?" He cried.

"Hold on, I'll go and get Becky for you.." Stephanie offered, before Seth abruptly stood up.

"No!" 

Stephanie stepped backwards - the way he shouted was fairly scary. Normally, she'd immediately reprimand a superstar for talking to her in such a manner, but Seth was clearly in a state, he's probably unaware of how angry he's coming across. Besides, Seth wasn't just a superstar.. he was her friend. After all, they'd known one another for years, and their careers were closely intertwined for quite a long time. 

The authority figure pulled up a chair to sit closer to him; Steph can't recall the last time she'd seen anyone so broken and fearful. After seeing her sit, Seth placed himself back down - he was still crying, but he seemed to be a little calmer with Stephanie's comforting eyes laid upon him. 

"You'll think I'm crazy Steph.. Hell, I think I'm crazy.." Seth whimpers. 

"Then talk to me.. what's happening..?" 

While Seth prepared himself, and thought about his words carefully, Stephanie took an extra glance over his physical state; he was definitely frail, and his skin was practically grey.. there's no disputing that he was malnourished in some sense. Perhaps mildly less significant, but Stephanie also saw that he was wearing the single glove which is typically reserved for the 'Messiah'. 

The young wrestler looked down at his glove with a sense of hatred - something that didn't go unnoticed by his company. She had so many unanswered questions about the man sitting before her, because this wasn't the Seth who she'd grown to admire over the years.. no, this was a scared little boy. Of course, Stephanie would do anything to get the Seth she cares about back.. but the way he was acting, she worried it would be beyond her capabilities of fixing.

"You have to promise that you won't laugh at me.. that you'll believe me.." he uncharacteristically pleaded, taking her hands. 

"Of course I'll believe you.." Stephanie said, but she could see that his begging eyes didn't change. "I promise, Seth."

The young man gulps. This was it.. he was finally going to tell someone - but it didn't feel real - none of it did. He was entirely convinced that Stephanie would laugh her face off, or look at him like he was completely mad. But maybe he was mad? He wasn't sure. 

Stephanie honestly didn't know what to expect. The way he made her promise to believe him, she panicked that he'd be telling her something as serious as assault.. potentially even worse. Of course, she prayed that wasn't the case, but his terrified eyes made her fear the worst. His demeanour was so hysterical, like he no control..

"E-ever since this Messiah gimmick started.. Steph, I can hear things.." he admitted, hiding his face with embarrassment. "Someone's talking to me.. I-I can hear other people, their thoughts.."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow as Raw's Messiah begins to cry hysterically once again, obviously ashamed at what he'd just revealed to the other woman. The first thought which flashed through her mind was mental health - potentially schizophrenia? She isn't a doctor, she couldn't accurately diagnose him with anything, but she could definitely be sure that he wasn't simply making this up.. Seth was in real turmoil, and he desperately needed help; Stephanie wasn't about to embarrass him for that. 

The older woman got off her seat and knelt in front of him; she wiped her friend's tears off his face and looked into his broken eyes.

"I believe you Seth.." she assured him immediately. 

A look of relief swept across the young man's face. "Thank you.. thank you, Steph.." his whispered tearily.

"Listen, being a WWE employee means you get access to free therapy.. I can refer you to the doctor's, they'll talk to you and-"

"What? I.. you just said you believed me!" Seth interrupts, standing up and beginning to pace around the room. 

"I do believe you.." 

"You don't!!" He screamed, frightening Steph mildly. "I'm not pretending!! They aren't just in my head!! I've not made them up!" 

In attempts to calm him down, Stephanie walked over and delicately rested a hand on his arm. Without a warning, Seth rapidly span around and pushed his friend away viscously, causing her to fall against her desk. Luckily, she was able to keep herself up, but she gave her hip quite the painful whack.

Part of her was angry, another half surprised. Steph could take a bump; she's been in the wrestling business from the age of ten, how could she not? But.. but from Seth? They've been close for years, he's never laid a finger on her..

"I-I'm so.. Oh my god, Steph, I'm so sorry.." he apologised instantly. 

"I'm going to let that slide given what you've been going through. But if you ever so much as touch me again, you'll be out of this company like a shot." She states authoritatively. "Do I make myself clear?" 

For the first time since about 2013, Seth saw Stephanie as his boss, as opposed to the friend he'd grown so fond of. He looked down at the hands which damaged their relationship, petrified of what he's clearly capable of. He didn't even know that he could ever find it within himself to hurt Stephanie. 

When he looked up at her, no matter how much she was attempting to seem angry, he could tell that she was scared of him.. scared that he'd lash out again, and Seth hated himself for it. How could he let himself hurt the one person he trusted enough to talk about this with..?

"I..I'm sorry Stephanie.." Seth repeated, sobbing to himself as he left her office.


	2. Night Time Voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo :)
> 
> So uh.. welcome back. I’m really bad at notes oops, just enjoy the chapter por favor and let me know what you think :)

After kissing each of her daughters good night, Stephanie exhaustedly stepped into her bedroom; Paul was already lying in bed, scrolling through his phone. After the long day she had, Steph couldn't wait to join him and just snuggle down, forgetting everything that's happened. 

Despite Seth's outburst being unquestionably out of line, she did feel slightly guilty for for sending him away. He might've dealt with it in the wrong way, but Seth only flipped out because of the demons he's facing. Maybe she should've given him more time to talk about it..? Or spent more time listening to him? For Christ's sake, Seth was shaken to the core with fear.. she felt so sorry for him. 

But talking to Seth again could wait until tomorrow - right at that moment, all Stephanie needed was to let her hair out of that tight ponytail, climb into her Pyjamas, and have a cuddle with her husband. She set her hair free and instantly felt some stress leave her system.

"Bad day?" Paul swiftly picked up on her uptight aura. 

"You honestly have no clue.." Steph chuckled, falling onto her bed and gently pecking Paul's lips. "Will you get the zip for me?" She asked, turning around. 

Paul reached to the back of his wife's neck and slowly unzipped her dress, savouring every moment of revealing her perfect skin. Unwrapping herself from the tight fabric, Stephanie could sense the way Paul was staring at her body as she stripped down into her underwear. This is exactly what she needed after the horror show she'd experienced, a little bit of attention from her husband and she'd be ready to face the rest of the week. 

As Paul attentively watched his wife undress, his eyes caught a glimpse of something which wasn't there that same morning.. a bruise? Stephanie had a dark bruise forming on her left hip - it honestly looked rather painful.

"Steph..? When did you hurt yourself..?" He asked, concerned.

Stephanie looks down and inwardly flinches; she knew exactly why that bruise was there. She pondered wether to tell Paul the truth or not. Of course, they're honest with one another, but Steph knows that if he found out about Seth pushing her, she'd end up visiting Paul in a jail cell. Simply not seeing the point in causing a fuss, Stephanie decided to keep quiet about what Seth had done. After all.. she didn't even see it as Seth's fault - he would've never done it if he was in a healthy mind space. 

"Oh.. I tripped over and fell against my desk.." she forced a giggle.

"Are you in pain?" 

"No, don't worry, it'll clear up in a few days.." 

Wanting to quickly change subjects, Stephanie effortlessly stripped out of her underwear and climbed into bed with her husband, hoping that her naked body would distract him from thinking about her bruise. Thankfully her plan seemed to work, and Paul was soon occupied with tracing Stephanie's neck with kisses.

She closed her eyes, and tried to put the events of today behind her, as she gave herself up to Paul's gentle touch.

  
********************************** 

  
Sitting up in bed, with Becky lying sleepily next to him, Seth was replaying the day he's had in his mind, over and over again. He's never hated himself more than he did then - hurting Stephanie near hurt him too - seeing that he was capable of making someone he cared about so scared.. how could he live with himself? 

As he turned to look at his beautiful fiancé, distress ran through his veins. What if.. what if, one day, he ended up hurting Becky? If he could push Stephanie, what if he snapped again, but at the woman he's marrying??

_Stop fighting it Seth. You've proven yourself. Accept what you are._

Seth slapped himself across the face - how can he be hear that??? Only Becky was in the room with him, and she didn't say it! This has been his reality for months, hearing random voices telling him to 'accept his fate', that he's the 'chosen one' - hearing what other people are thinking, which can be gut wrenching when it isn't what you want to be listening to.

Earlier that day, Stephanie brought up the idea of it being his mental health; he's been toying with that idea for weeks, that maybe he really is just insane? But how can these voices be nothing but fragments of his imagination when he doesn't even understand them?? How could his mind create voices he's never heard, sentences he's never thought about, fears he's never faced?? 

As the deep voice continued to torment him, Seth gripped onto his hair and desperately attempted to prevent himself from screaming. He let his rage get the better of him once, he refused to do it again, especially when Becky was in the room. 

_You're the chosen one Seth. This is a burden you were destined to experience. All for the greater good._

Greater good. A phrase his Messiah character often said - but what does it mean?? Seth cursed the universe for plaguing him with these demons; he's always done his best to be a good person, to do the right thing, yet he was rendered terrified of himself and his capabilities. 

"Seth, are you going to give me a cuddle..?" Becky's voice sweetly and welcomely interrupted the torture Seth was hearing. 

Forcing a smile, the young man lied down and went to wrap an arm around his fiancé.

"Seth.." Becky gently pushed him back. "Yer not really gonna go to bed with yer Messiah glove on, are ya?" She chuckled, gesturing to his right hand. 

Chuckling nervously, Seth faked forgetfulness and reluctantly removed his glove, carefully placing it on a bedside table. As he pulled Becky into a hug, he was careful to only use his left hand to hold her - he was petrified of what voice he'd hear if his right hand touched her. The last time it happened.. it was too much for him to bare. 

Suddenly, his fear came true, and Becky lovingly grabbed hold of his right hand as she snuggled into his side. Seth's eyes widened, and he prayed to whoever was out there that his mind wouldn't produce any more voices.

_For Fuck's sake, what the hell am I doing? This is the man who holds me, who tells me I'm beautiful, and I'm the one who hurt him! If he ever finds out, he'll leave me.. and I wouldn't even blame him for it. He doesn't deserve to be stuck with a cheater.._

Seth eyes began watering as Becky's voice began whizzing around his head. Becky just wouldn't cheat on him, would she..? But he could hear her thinking it.. that was her voice, it was like she said it all out loud..

Doing his best to conceal his Crying, Seth buried his head on Becky's shoulder, and tried to block out all the voices, some of them being Becky herself. 


	3. Patching Him Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! So um.. slight trigger warning - it could be argued that this chapter includes self harm, and I don't want to upset anybody, so just be careful :) 
> 
> Thank you for all the reads and comments so far ;) xxx

Burying his head low, Seth walked down the empty arena hallway while drinking a strong dose of coffee - he was going to need the most caffeine possible to get through the day. After being subjected to Becky's thoughts of another man the night before, he didn't sleep a wink. 

Last night made Seth wish he actually was insane, that the voices weren't real, and it was nothing more than some cruel mind trick. But those voices were real, and Seth could hear them clear as day; he could becky, the woman he adores, thinking about someone else.. but how on earth could he confront her? It wasn't as if Seth could say that he knows due to being the 'chosen one', whatever that means - she'd only look at him the same way Stephanie did yesterday. 

_No one else will ever understand. This is for you, and you only, to face, chosen one._

Upon the voices appearance, Seth's frustration and lack of sleep took over him, and he broke down once again; tears fell from his tired eyes, and he suddenly dropped his coffee cup, clenching his fists and punching the concrete wall repeatedly. His hands hurt like hell, but nothing could've matched the pain his emotions were in, and he was prepared to do anything as a distraction.

Each punch hurt more than it's prior, and Seth could feel the skin on his knuckles grazing off. But no matter the agony, he felt like he deserved it. Seth just wanted something focus on besides the venomous voices which called him the 'chosen one', all in the name of a 'greater good'. 

"Seth..? Seth, stop it.." a woman said from the side of him, although he was in too much of a state to comprehend who.

The mystery woman grabbed his fits gently and guided him away from the wall; she allowed him to fall into her open arms, and she stroked his hair comfortingly while the troubled young man cried helplessly onto her shoulder. 

"Oh Seth.. it's alright, everything will be alright, I promise.." she said, and Seth was able to work out her identity - Stephanie McMahon. 

Stephanie sushed him sweetly, cradling the crying man in her arms like he was a child. She felt awful for yesterday, how could she have sent him away when he's clearly so.. well, broken? Today, she'd made it her mission to search for Seth, and to fully wrap her head around his situation - she gave him barely any time to explain yesterday, but she wanted to put that right. For his sake. 

"Steph.. I can't keep going.. I can't live like this.." Seth weeped.

"You don't have to.. we're going to work this out, we'll fix it.." she whispered. "Come on.. we need to sort your fists out.. I'll wrap them up for you, and we can have a talk.." 

Seth looked down at her, tears still in his eyes; his breathing was heavy, and he realised just how powerless he was. Stephanie could've said that she was planning on firing him, and he wouldn't have said a word against it - these stupid voices were rendering him into nothing, he was at their full mercy, and he'd lost all fight within himself. 

Wordlessly, Stephanie led Seth into an empty first aid room, and sat him down opposite her. Looking at his bloody fits, she guessed they'd only need to be cleaned, then wrapped up in some bandages. Steph might not be a surgeon, but she was pretty sure her limited skills could stretch to that - besides, it would be easier for them to have a chat if it was only the two of them. 

Stephanie took the first aid kit off the wall and took out some antiseptic cream, looking up at Seth with kind eyes; he was near cowering, seeming to shake with fear, and hiding his face away with embarrassment. 

"Let me have your hand.." she instructed as Seth cautiously gave her his left hand. "This might sting slightly.." 

Seth whimpered as Stephanie delicately rubbed the medicine into the cuts - he felt so stupid for doing it to himself, but he's glad that it led to some alone time with Steph. Hopefully, he could apologise for how things went yesterday. Besides Becky's thoughts, Seth was kept awake by the self-hatred caused by hurting the older woman.

"Listen.. I won't pretend I wasn't shocked by what you told me yesterday.." Stephanie began, rubbing the cream more than necessary to prolong their contact. "But no one's ever told me something like that, and I just didn't know how to react.. if I scared you any more, I'm really sorry.." she apologised sincerely and sweetly. "And if you ever want to talk.. you know my office door is always open. Wether you need me as your boss, or as your friend.."

For what felt like the first time in months, Seth smiled softly. He was terrified that he'd made a mistake in telling Stephanie, but it was clearly the best decision he could've made. Even though she doesn't understand what he's going through (something he couldn't blame her for, not when he doesn't understand it himself), she was still willing to be there for him. Looking at her with grateful eyes, Seth winced a little when Steph began wrapping a bandage around his left hand. He must've beaten his fists up more than he realised.

Stephanie was doing her best to be gentle, but Seth was obviously frail, and it wouldn't have taken much to hurt him.

"I'm sorry for pushing you.." he said quietly. "You have no idea how awful I feel.. you know I'd never hurt you if-"

"Don't apologise." Steph interrupted. "You're right. I know you'd never hurt me. Not on purpose, anyway.. it's all forgiven." She smiled. "Now pass me your other hand.." 

Seth instinctively pulled his right hand closer to his chest. Treating his left hand is fine, but his right..? He didn't even have his glove, he couldn't face it again, not even with Stephanie. Although, when he looked into her expectant eyes, he quickly realised that she wouldn't take no for answer. 

The older woman became mildly confused - he seemed perfectly fine letting her treat one hand, what's so different about the other one? Normally, she'd just lean over and take his hand anyway, but she was aware of how fragile Seth was, and she didn't want to freak him out any more.

"It's okay.. I won't hurt you, I'll be gentle.." she assured him.

Extremely slowly, Seth reached out his right hand and allowed Stephanie to treat his injuries. His breathing became a little heavier as he anticipated the inevitable. 

_Bless him, he looks so frightened.. I just wish I could click my fingers and make everything bad go away for him. Someone so amazing shouldn't have to go through something so shit.. I just hope that I can help him, and that he'll let me help him._

Seth's breath hitched as he heard the sweet thoughts running through Stephanie's mind. Everyone else he's had the misfortune of hearing has near killed him; For God's sake, he'd been forced to listen in on the details of Becky's infidelity. But Stephanie was different.. she was kind. Her thoughts weren't just about all she's done wrong, all she's lying about - her thoughts were selflessly filled with how to make him feel better. 

Looking at her more closely, Seth noticed just how protectively Stephanie was tending to his hand; how kind her eyes were, no hint of judgement whatsoever; just how beautiful she was.. he almost wanted her to.. to..

Suddenly, Stephanie leant down and ever so gently kissed the top of Seth's hand, sending shivers up his spine. Straight away, she pulled back, inwardly confused at herself. She had no intention on kissing him.. she just.. did? It was like the idea just entered her head randomly, and she couldn't fight the urge to do it? Like she was powerless to it?

Moving a strand of hair away from her face, Stephanie looked up and read Seth's face; he thankfully didn't seem too bothered or upset by it. If anything, he seemed slightly more confused than she was. She cleared her throat and stood up. She felt quite embarrassed by what she'd done, it was so out of character - besides, she had no idea what possessed her to do it in the first place. 

"Your hands should heal in a day or two.. I'll be in my office if you need me.." Steph smiled.

"Thank you.." Seth replied, a little disappointed to watch her leave, especially after her small display of affection. 

"And Seth?" She grabbed his attention. "Try not to get in any fights with the walls again.." she teased playfully, swanning off down the corridor. 


	4. Cutting Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so this took me a while to get out.. oops? 
> 
> Anyway, something I wanted to address right off the bat - this chapter includes a self harm scene, so here's a trigger warning because I want all you lovelies to be safe and happy :)
> 
> Please enjoy the chapter! Xx

_Give into it Seth. This is who you are. You're the chosen one. You have to go through this, it's all for the greater good. Just stop fighting it. Stop fighting and accept your fate. This is who you were always destined to be._

Seth sat on his sofa, rocking himself back and fourth; he's been facing these voices for months, but today has definitely been the worst. When he woke up this morning, Becky was holding his right hand, and he was once again subjected to her thoughts of someone else. Throughout the day, not a moment passed where Seth couldn't hear someone talking to him; they were always saying the same thing, yet he couldn't make any more sense of it. 

Even though it was mildly embarrassing to admit, Seth desperately wanted to be back with Stephanie. When they touched, and he could hear her mind, her thoughts were filled with sweetness and kindness.. when all the voices prior have been so torturous, listening to Stephanie's mind felt like he could finally breath and take a gasp of fresh air; he'd do anything to have that again.

_Don't waste your power Seth. You've already proven yourself, now go and carry out your duties. This is why you were brought on this earth._

Snapping instantly, Seth stood up and marched into his kitchen, where Becky was casually making herself some late night cereal. He was at his breaking point, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to make this all stop. If his left hand was safe from this cruelty.. then he'll have to take care of his right.

Becky didn't look up when Seth walked in; she couldn't yet sense the absolute fear and panic surrounding her fiancé. Although, her eyes flickered to him once she heard a kitchen drawer slam loudly. 

Upon turning around, she horrifyingly caught Seth with a steak knife; before she had the chance to react, her fiancé violently slashed the knife against his right hand, drawing a lot of blood and causing him to cry out with agony.

"Seth! Holy Shit! The fuck are yer doing?!" Becky shouted, beginning to cry herself.

Without a reply, or a warning, Seth dragged the knife across his palm once again, wailing at the pain and torment. 

Finally grasping the weight of what happened before her eyes, Becky forcibly grabbed the knife from Seth's left hand, pulling it away from him and throwing it on the floor. He fell to the floor, trembling uncontrollably and near screaming with the torture. Becky cradled him, still in shock from what she saw; she took hold of his cut hand and cried at the sight of his blood poring down both their arms.

_Why the hell would he do this?! I can't tell him, I just can't.. look at him! He just cut himself! Whatever's wrong with him, he's going to need help, and I'll have to stand by him.. if he finds out I cheated, it'll destroy him. If he's already at breaking point, it'll send him over the edge. God, why the fuck did I have to do this to him?!_

Seth used all of his force to push Becky backwards, still crying like he's never done before; he never thought he could love anyone but Becky, but in that moment, he was close to despising her. First, she has sex with someone he doesn't even know, then she has the nerve to justify lying to him by claiming she must be there for him. Seth knew that no one could help him at this point, but he also knew that Becky's the last person he wanted help from. 

Knowing that Seth wanted space, Becky kept her distance, staring with petrified eyes at her fiancé. She'd never seen anyone hurt themselves so ferociously before, let alone the man she thought was stronger than anyone else in the world. What on earth had happened to him..? Whoever this man was, he wasn't the person she'd agreed to marry. 

"Seth.. Seth, let me come help you.." she half pleaded, looking frightened towards the blood dripping from his slashes. 

"No!" Seth screamed, holding onto his injured hand and stumbling backwards. "Stay away from me! I know, Becky! I fucking know!" 

"Know what?!" She cried desperately. 

"I know you fucked someone else Bex! I don't know who but I know you did it!" 

Reduced to silence, Becky's tears kept rolling down her cheeks as she tries to process what he said. How the hell does he know?? It was the most stupid mistake of her life, and she's regretted nothing more. She'd try and plead her case.. hell, she loved this man more than anyone, she'd even beg for Seth to forgive her.. but looking into his eyes, looking at the absolute shame he has for her.. she knew it'd be a lost cause.

"I..I'm so sorry Seth.. " She sheepishly apologised, standing completely still as her shame completely consumed her. 

"You're sorry?! You're fucking sorry?!"

Losing all sense of self control, Seth lashed out once again, and lunged forward, pushing Becky more forcefully than the last time; she fell against the kitchen cupboards, then crashed onto the floor. Thankfully, she didn't seem to be too physically hurt, but Seth flinched at himself for hurting her at all. 

Unable to find the strength to pull herself up, Becky stayed on the tile floor, weeping at where she'd found herself. 

Seth looked down at his bleeding hand; he was utterly terrified of himself, and the world around him. Prying his eyes away from his hand, Seth's attention landed on the crying woman before him. Words couldn't describe how desperate he was to feel love.. but he just didn't. He lost all love for her the moment his mind played out her thoughts of another man. And he wasn't sure if he even blamed Becky for that, or these voices which had taken over his life so negatively.. 

"I..I'll go.." he wept, clutching onto his injured hand as he almost ran out of their house.

He didn't have a plan on where to go, but he didn't care. Right there and then, he simply wanted to disappear - away from Becky, away from that house.. away from life itself.

_You can't escape chosen one. You can't cut your destiny away, as your destiny is so much more than the mere flesh on your skin. You'll understand and comply one day, Seth. You will be the worthy **messiah.**_


	5. Conversations of a corridor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie comes across the troubled 'Messiah' on her way to the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh.. hello :)
> 
> I'm sorry for not updating this story in what feels like forever. 
> 
> In my defence, I've been in and out of hospital quite alot recently, and my health has generally been pretty shitty - don't worry about me, I'm alright, but it means writing can't always be within my priorities, you know? 
> 
> Plus, this story is kind've low down on the list of writing things I need to get done, so updates might be quite slow still, I'm sorry :(
> 
> Hopefully, I'll get my backside in gear soon enough, and thank you to anyone who still reads any of my trash <3

Sleep deprived and over-worked, Stephanie made her way into her office; it was stupidly early in morning, about 4am, but there's no rest for the wicked, and definitely not for a C.E.O of a global company. With everything going on in her life, Steph had managed to back herself into a corner, and she was somehow left ill with both anxiety, exhaustion, and a fever for good measure.

She was easily the first person to arrive at the arena, but that was no different to normal. Typically, she'd arrive about thirty minutes before anyone else showed their face - but today, it would be nearly an hour and forty five minutes until everyone else made an entrance. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Stephanie set an earlier alarm as to avoid her husband; she honestly didn't want to hear his voice or feel his touch anymore, not recently.. things had changed between them, and the only thing keeping them together was their undeniable sexual chemistry. Obviously though, that doesn't make up for the rest of their lives. 

While stepping through the corridors, something caught Stephanie's attention.. it almost sounded like.. well, it sounded like Seth? The sound was eerily similar to the screams she heard when she found him punching the walls, and fear ran through Steph with the thought of him doing it again. But the talent wasn't required to be at the arena until roughly 6:30pm, so she questioned her own ears. However, one cry of pain echoed through the halls once more, and it was undoubtedly Seth's voice.

Stephanie rushed to source of the heartbreaking noise, and her face scrunched with confusion as she laid eyes on the sight before her. Unlike her fears of Seth punching the wall again, the young man was laying in a small corner, curled up in a sleeping bag; he was clearly asleep, but even more clearly having a nightmare. He was tossing and turning, and crying near hysterically. 

So many questions ran through Steph's mind - mainly, why was he here, at 4am, in a sleeping bag? Unfortunately though, she didn't have to question why he was having a nightmare. Presumably, Seth was frightened by these voices he's been hearing, the poor man.

Putting her questions to the back of her mind, Stephanie focused on carefully waking him up. Cautiously, the older woman knelt beside his sleeping body and began to delicately stroke his hair. Steph took note of how he was in regular clothes, and for some reason, still wearing his Messiah character's glove. As she ran her fingers through his long hair, Stephanie quietly spoke his name, trying to open his eyes. 

Startled and confused, Seth suddenly jolts upwards - he was close to hyperventilating, and his heart was beating faster than ever. He was hyperaware of the tears falling down his face, and the shame of being discovered was eating him alive. Turning to look at the brunette, Seth continued weeping as Stephanie sat herself next him him and leant against the wall behind them; she pulled him into her chest and held him closely. 

"Were you having a bad dream..?" She whispered, only getting a childlike nod for a response. "Do you want to talk about it..?" 

"I..I could see it, Steph.." Seth stumbled his words, shaking as he clung around Stephanie's waist. "Th-the light.. it had the voice.. the one I can hear.."

His dream didn't particularly sound scary, but when faced with Seth's situation, it was the most petrifying nightmare anyone could've conjured up. Seth dreamt that he was completely alone, isolated in a forest full of dead and leafless trees; no matter where he ran, he was trapped in the exact same place, and the voices were swirling around his brain whilst a beacon of light appeared before him.

"They c-call me a Messiah.. that I'm a chosen one, but I don't want to be.. I don't even knows what they mean.." he tearfully explains.

Stephanie quietly sushes him as she soothingly runs her nails along his back. Just like when he first came to her office, it was obvious that Seth had thinned down; his shoulder blades were even sharper, and more muscle had fallen off his slim body. Quite evidently, these voices had scared him out of eating. Either that, or they'd damaged him to the point where he didn't see the point of eating anymore, which is terrifying to think about. 

Despite feeling embarrassed, Seth was glad it was Stephanie who found him. Anyone else, he'd never live it down. But Stephanie was kind, she didn't judge him for saying things which he knew sounded stupid to an outsider.. even if she didn't understand Seth's pain, he at least knew that she understood how real it was for him - Seth really did hear these voices, and Steph whole heartedly believed him. 

"Tell me what's going on, Seth.. Why are you sleeping in the hallway..?" She cautiously asks, refusing to let go of him. 

Seth's eyes begin burning with more tears. "I.. I left Becky.. she cheated on me.." he painfully admitted, chocking up.

A flash of anger went through Stephanie's veins - she did her best not to tense up too much, for fear of making Seth even more on edge - but with that one confession, her opinion on Becky Lynch became the complete opposite. Becky was a well liked and respected superstar, but Stephanie truthfully couldn't have hated her more in that moment. How the hell could she do that to him?! 

Lucky for Becky, WWE had no legal grounds to fire her - not when this was an issue not involving their professional lives, but instead their personal ones. But Steph was honestly in the frame of mind to completely exile her from the company. She'd grown so protective over Seth recently - he was so broken, yet so beautiful, and she despised the Irish woman for having the nerve to hurt him so deeply. 

"I just grabbed my ring gear and left in the clothes I'm wearing... I bought a cheap sleeping bag at some camping store.. I-I've been sleeping in the arenas since.." he said. "I just couldn't be in that house anymore.." 

Beginning to well up herself, Stephanie lightly pressed a kiss on Seth's forehead. Unlike when she kissed his hand - where she felt like the decision wasn't her own - Steph was fully intending to do so. She wanted him to know how cared about he was, as he was understandably feeling abandoned. Becky might've been twisted enough to betray him in such a way, but Stephanie couldn't imagine turning her back on someone so wonderful.

"I.. I did something else.. something really stupid.." Seth said, guiltily looking up into Stephanie's sweet, yet expectant eyes. 

A pit of worry formed in Stephanie's stomach. She had no clue what Seth was about to say, and she understandably feared the worst. But she made an internal promise to herself - no matter what he tells her, she'll take a deep breath before deciding how to respond. Simply by his tone, she knows this was going to be important; the last thing she wants is to scare him away. 

Seth raised his right hand, concealed with his black glove. He clutches it with his left, and his eyes displayed a form of shame. Deep down, he knew that telling Stephanie about this was the right choice - but that didn't make it any less scary. Admitting to the voices was difficult enough, but at least that was external; what he was about to show her was of his own doing, and it made him fear the possibility of being turned away. 

"Y-you have to promise that you w-won't touch it.." Seth warned her. "Please, Stephanie.. p-promise me..?" 

"....I promise, Seth.." she reluctantly agreed.

Frightened of her reaction, Seth turned his face away as he slowly removed the glove, revealing two huge scares either side of his hand. Stephanie's eyes widened, and she allowed a single tear to fall down her cheek; she knew that Seth was in a dark place, but she didn't know he was hurting himself! Yes, he punched the wall - but that seemed more like a explosion of anger - this felt so much more deliberate, and it terrified her. 

She accepted that he didn't want a doctor, but she might have to try and convince him. If Seth was in a pit so deep that self harm was his only coping mechanism, something had to be done right away. Of course, Stephanie would be there for him, if she only knew how.. but this was beyond her capabilities of fixing. 

"Seth.." she whispered, so quietly it was practically a whisper. "S-Seth.. sweetheart, you.." 

"Please don't hate me Steph.." Seth sobbed. "I had to do it! I thought it would make everything stop.. I just wanted them to stop.." he cried, falling back into his friend's chest. 

How on earth could she hate him..? She wished he didn't blame himself - this wasn't Seth's fault - besides Becky, no one was at fault. For whatever reason, the universe is cruel.. and that proves itself true at the expense of perfectly good people sometimes. Seth didn't deserve to go through something so traumatic, but who would? 

There was a 34 year old man desperately weeping into her neck like an upset toddler, and all she wanted to do was make the world a brighter place for him.. but what could she realistic do? Besides experiencing the odd spell of anxiety, Stephanie didn't know the first thing about mental health, let alone how to help someone having issues with it! But Steph feared that she's the only one he'd be willing to talk to.. that it'll be left to her, wether she knows how to help or not.

"The voices..?" Stephanie asked. "You thought it would stop the voices..?" 

"They're real, Steph! I'm not making them up! I'm not fucking crazy!"

The older woman bowed her head, and kissed Seth's forehead once again, but with more intent that time. She has no clue what to do in all honesty... but one thing she could do in that moment is hold him and show Seth how cared about he was. The way he screams, and pleads her to believe him.. it broke her heart.

"Listen, honey.. I don't understand this, okay..? But that doesn't mean I don't believe you, and you don't have to keep trying to convince me.." she soothed, taking hold of his left hand, cautious of the sensitivity around his right. "I can't promise I'll be able to fix these voices.. but I can definitely help you to stop sleeping in arena corridors.." Stephanie smiled, slowly standing up. 

Seth stood up with her, not baring to be any further away than he had to be. 

"Come on.. we'll get you somewhere comfy for the night.." she said, sweetly guiding him towards her office.


End file.
